[NFCB] Political Editorializing?

[Peter Graff]

Hi everyone,

 

We're currently reassessing our policy regarding on-air editorializing
for programmers who do music shows.  KBCS is a community station with an
educational licensee, and we currently have over 100 active volunteer
music programmers.  Here's our policy as it stands now:

 

Political Editorials

 

The FCC's political editorializing rule is: if a broadcaster runs an
editorial or commentary opposing a candidate for public office, that
candidate must be given a reasonable opportunity to present a response.
Stations may tell candidates that the candidate must select a
spokesperson to present their response in order to avoid an "equal
opportunities" problem.

 

In addition, because of KBCS's nonprofit status, it is governed by
Internal Revenue Service regulations which forbid the station from
engaging in any form of partisan lobbying.

 

Although the FCC allows KBCS to editorialize on any subject, the station
chooses not to do so. As an individual, however, a volunteer may express
editorial positions, or can allow guests or phone callers to express
opinions. It is the on-air programmer's responsibility to make clear to
the listeners that such opinions are those of the individuals and are
not necessarily an editorial opinion of the station, its volunteers,
paid staff, or management.

 

I'd rather our music hosts not editorialize politically on the mic, and
that they instead make their opinions known through the music they
choose to play.  I've recently had a few music programmers who've
started including political editorials (some would call them rants) into
their shows, ranging from a few seconds to nearly 2 minutes.  I'm happy
to have such programmers submit political editorials through our public
affairs department, and follow the process put forth for any other KBCS
public affairs producer.  But, in my mind, these editorial segments
sound incongruous to the music show that surrounds them (and this has
nothing to do with the opinions themselves-I wholeheartedly agree with
them, but I think our policy should transcend any specific point of
view, and apply coherently to left, right, center, and all points in
between).

 

I'm interested in hearing how other stations-specifically community
stations with a large number of on-air music programmers-navigate this
issue.  Thanks.

 

Peter Graff

Program Director

KBCS 91.3 FM

Streaming and Podcasting at kbcs.fm

Phone: (425) 564-6162  Fax: (425) 564-5697